The Fall of the Walls of Jericho

Context & Setting

• Main Biblical Reference: Joshua 6:1–27
• Historical Period: Israel’s early settlement in Canaan (after the exodus traditions)
• Geographic Location: Jericho, near the Jordan River in the Jordan Valley
• Key Characters: Joshua; the priests; the people of Israel; Rahab and her household; the king of Jericho

The Narrative

The Beginning:
After Israel crosses the Jordan, Jericho is shut up and fortified, presenting a major obstacle to entering the land. The LORD gives Joshua specific instructions for how the city will be taken, centering the ark of the covenant and a ritual march rather than conventional siege tactics.

The Middle:
For six days, Israel marches once each day around Jericho in silence, with priests carrying trumpets and the ark in the procession. On the seventh day they circle the city seven times; at Joshua’s command the priests blow the trumpets and the people shout. The walls collapse, opening the city to Israel. In keeping with Joshua’s earlier promise, messengers bring Rahab and her family out safely because she sheltered Israel’s spies.

The End:
Israel captures Jericho, and the city is placed under ḥerem—devoted to the LORD—so its spoil is not taken as ordinary plunder; precious metals are set apart for the LORD’s treasury. Joshua pronounces a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho, underscoring the event’s solemnity. The chapter concludes by noting that the LORD was with Joshua and his reputation spread through the land.

Theological Meaning

This account portrays conquest as the LORD’s action on behalf of his covenant people: Jericho falls through obedience to God’s word, not military strength. The prominent place of the ark and priestly trumpets emphasizes God’s holy presence leading Israel. Rahab’s rescue highlights that God’s mercy can extend beyond Israel to those who turn toward him, even amid judgment, and that faith expressed in allegiance has real covenant consequences.

Historical & Cultural Insight

Jericho is one of the best-known tells (mound sites) in the southern Levant, and excavations have revealed multiple occupation layers and collapsed mudbrick structures typical of ancient walled cities. Archaeology helps illustrate the kind of fortified settlement Joshua 6 describes, while the biblical narrative’s focus remains theological—attributing the city’s fall to the LORD’s commanded ritual rather than to a standard siege.

Key Memory Verse

“The wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” — Joshua 6:20